Modular multi-room proton therapy system

ABSTRACT

Embodiments of the present invention describe systems and methods for providing proton therapy treatment using a beam line where the ESS is reduced or eliminated. For multi-room configurations, a beam line is included having quadrupole and steerer magnets to align and focus a particle beam extracted by an accelerator and guided by a bend section. A degrader is disposed between the bend section and the treatment room, and the energy analyzing functionality is performed by the gantry.

FIELD

Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to the field ofproton therapy medical devices. More specifically, embodiments of thepresent invention relate beam transfer lines for proton therapy systems.

BACKGROUND

Typical proton therapy treatment systems utilize fixed-energy cyclotronsas proton accelerators followed by an energy selection system (ESS). Theenergy selection system consists of an energy degrader for reducing thebeam energy and a beam energy analyzer (or selector) that reduces theenergy spread induced by the degrader. The beam energy analyzertypically used in existing proton therapy treatment systems is aseparate achromatic beam line consisting of two or more dipoles and amoveable slit system.

Multi-room proton therapy treatment systems have typically relied on asingle ESS. However, using a full-scale energy selection systems withenergy degrader and separate beam energy analyzer is expensive in termsof cost of goods and requires a relatively large amount of space toaccommodate the complex achromatic beam line. What is needed is areduced-complexity beam line that reduces the cost of goods and reducesthe footprint of the proton therapy treatment system for bothsingle-room and multi-room configurations.

With regard to FIG. 1 , an exemplary prior art proton therapy system 155including an ESS 165 with a separate energy analyzer for supportingmultiple gantry treatment rooms 185, 190, and 195, and a fixed beam room197 with a scanning nozzle is depicted. The energy selection system 165consists of an energy degrader for reducing the beam energy and a beamenergy analyzer (or selector) that reduces the energy spread induced bythe degrader. The beam energy analyzer is a separate achromatic beamline consisting of two or more dipoles and a moveable slit system. Bendsections 170, 175, and 180 direct the beam line to treatment rooms 185,190, and 195, respectively.

The ESS of existing prior art proton therapy system require the use of aseparate achromatic beam line consisting of two or more dipoles and amoveable slit system for implementing the energy selection system 165,which typically requires several weeks commission time and significantbuilding and installation costs. Moreover, the magnets required tooperate the separate achromatic beam line are relatively large andrequire large power supplies and external water cooling systems.

Furthermore, the prior art proton therapy system 155 disadvantageouslyrequires a relatively long time to switch energy levels for providingdifferent treatments, which impacts the patient/user experience due tolong wait times. For example, in some cases it can take 20 seconds orlonger before a patient can receive treatment at the adjusted energylevel.

Another disadvantage of the prior art proton therapy system 155 is therequirement to use large water cooling lines up to 6″ in diameter tocool the magnets using expensive de-ionized water. The large watercooling lines take up a significant space, leading to a much largerinstallation footprint and much higher costs. Furthermore, the powersupply for the magnets also require expensive cooling and drawsignificant amounts of power.

Therefore, a significant need exists in the field of proton therapy toreduce the complexity of existing proton therapy treatment systems toaddress the issues described above.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the present invention describe systems and methods forproviding proton therapy treatment using a beam line where the ESS isreduced or eliminated. For multi-room configurations, a beam line isincluded having quadrupole and steerer magnets to align and focus aparticle beam extracted by an accelerator and guided by a bend section.A degrader is disposed between the bend section and the treatment room,and the energy analyzing functionality is performed by the gantry.

According to one embodiment, a proton treatment system is disclosed. Theproton treatment system includes an accelerator operable to extract aparticle beam, a beam line including quadrupole and steerer magnetsoperable to align and focus the particle beam, a bend section coupled tothe beam line for directing the particle beam to a treatment room, adegrader disposed between the bend section and the treatment room, wherethe particle beam is focused on the degrader to modulate an energy ofthe particle beam, and a gantry disposed in the treatment room andoperable to receive the particle beam downstream from the degrader,where the gantry provides energy selection functionality for thetreatment room.

According to a different embodiment, a modular multi-room protontreatment system is disclosed. The modular multi-room proton treatmentsystem includes an accelerator operable to extract a particle beam fordelivery to a plurality of treatment rooms, a beam line operable toreceive the particle beam from the accelerator and comprisingquadrupoles and steerer magnets operable to transport the particle beam,a degrader disposed between the beam transfer line and a first bendsection, where the degrader is operable to reduce an energy of theparticle beam for the plurality of treatment rooms, and a first gantrydisposed in a first treatment room and coupled to the first bendsection, where the first gantry provides energy selection functionalityfor the first treatment room.

According to another embodiment, a modular multi-room proton treatmentsystem is disclosed. The modular multi-room proton treatment systemincludes an accelerator operable to extract a particle beam, a beam linecomprising quadrupole and steerer magnets operable to align and focusthe particle beam from the accelerator to deliver the particle beam to afirst treatment room and a second beam line, a first bend sectioncoupled to the second beam line and operable to direct the particle beamto a first treatment room, a degrader disposed between the first bendsection and the first treatment room, where the particle beam is focusedon the degrader to modulate an energy of the particle beam, and a firstgantry disposed in the first treatment room and operable to receive theparticle beam downstream from the degrader, where the first gantryprovides energy selection functionality for the first treatment room.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form a part ofthis specification and in which like numerals depict like elements,illustrate embodiments of the present disclosure and, together with thedescription, serve to explain the principles of the disclosure.

FIG. 1 depicts an exemplary prior art proton therapy system including anESS with a separate energy analyzer for supporting multiple gantrytreatment rooms and a fixed beam room with a scanning nozzle.

FIG. 2A depicts an exemplary modular multi-room proton treatment systemincluding two gantries configured to provide energy selectionfunctionality according to embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 2B depicts an exemplary modular multi-room proton treatment systemincluding three treatment rooms and two gantries configured to provideenergy selection functionality according to embodiments of the presentinvention.

FIG. 3 depicts an exemplary modular multi-room proton treatment systemincluding gantries configured to provide energy selection functionalityand a single degrader according to embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 4 depicts an exemplary modular multi-room proton treatment systemincluding a beam line having quadrupoles and steerer magnets coupled tothree gantry rooms and two fixed beam line rooms according toembodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 5 depicts an exemplary modular multi-room proton treatment systemincluding a beam line having quadrupoles and steerer magnets coupled totwo gantry rooms and two fixed beam line rooms according to embodimentsof the present invention.

FIG. 6 depicts an exemplary modular multi-room proton treatment systemincluding a beam line having quadrupoles and steerer magnets coupled totwo fixed beam line rooms according to embodiments of the presentinvention.

FIG. 7 depicts an exemplary modular multi-room proton treatmentincluding three treatment room with gantries configured to provideenergy selection functionality according to embodiments of the presentinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made in detail to several embodiments. While thesubject matter will be described in conjunction with the alternativeembodiments, it will be understood that they are not intended to limitthe claimed subject matter to these embodiments. On the contrary, theclaimed subject matter is intended to cover alternative, modifications,and equivalents, which may be included within the spirit and scope ofthe claimed subject matter as defined by the appended claims.

Furthermore, in the following detailed description, numerous specificdetails are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding ofthe claimed subject matter. However, it will be recognized by oneskilled in the art that embodiments may be practiced without thesespecific details or with equivalents thereof. In other instances,well-known methods, procedures, components, and circuits have not beendescribed in detail as not to unnecessarily obscure aspects and featuresof the subject matter.

Some portions of the detailed description are presented in terms ofprocedures, steps, logic blocks, processing, and other symbolicrepresentations of operations on data bits that can be performed oncomputer memory. These descriptions and representations are the meansused by those skilled in the data processing arts to most effectivelyconvey the substance of their work to others skilled in the art. Aprocedure, computer-executed step, logic block, process, etc., is here,and generally, conceived to be a self-consistent sequence of steps orinstructions leading to a desired result. The steps are those requiringphysical manipulations of physical quantities. Usually, though notnecessarily, these quantities take the form of electrical or magneticsignals capable of being stored, transferred, combined, compared, andotherwise manipulated in a computer system. It has proven convenient attimes, principally for reasons of common usage, to refer to thesesignals as bits, values, elements, symbols, characters, terms, numbers,or the like.

It should be borne in mind, however, that all of these and similar termsare to be associated with the appropriate physical quantities and aremerely convenient labels applied to these quantities. Unlessspecifically stated otherwise as apparent from the followingdiscussions, it is appreciated that throughout, discussions utilizingterms such as “accessing,” “displaying,” “writing,” “including,”“storing,” “rendering,” “transmitting,” “instructing,” “associating,”“identifying,” “capturing,” “controlling,” “encoding,” “decoding,”“monitoring,” “imaging,” or the like, refer to the action and processesof a computer system, or similar electronic computing device, thatmanipulates and transforms data represented as physical (electronic)quantities within the computer system's registers and memories intoother data similarly represented as physical quantities within thecomputer system memories or registers or other such information storage,transmission or display devices.

Proton Therapy System with Reduced-Complexity Beam Transfer Line

Embodiments of the present invention describe proton therapy systemsthat include a reduced-complexity (e.g., simplified) beam transfer line(beam line) such that a large portion of the ESS is reduced oreliminated, and a dedicated degrader is positioned directly in front ofthe treatment rooms. The embodiments described herein can be used inboth single-room and multi-room configurations. For multi-roomconfigurations, a simple fixed-energy beam line distributes the protonbeam to separate degraders for each treatment room. In otherembodiments, only one degrader per system is used, positioned betweenthe cyclotron and the first bend section. The energy analyzing abilitycan be performed by either the bend section itself or the gantry beamline.

Due to the simplified nature of the beam transfer line used byembodiments of the present invention, the commission and installationtime is much shorter compared to existing systems that require aseparate achromatic beam line consisting of two or more dipoles and amoveable slit system for implementing an energy selection system, whichtypically require several weeks commission time. The reduced complicitybeam transfer line also significantly reduces building and installationcosts of the proton therapy system. Moreover, embodiments of the presentinvention do not require large magnets used to operate the separateachromatic beam line in existing systems, which require heavy dutymachinery (e.g., heavy lifters) to install at the installation site. Incontrast, embodiments of the present invention use relatively lightweight magnets that can be installed manually without heavy machinery.Furthermore, the magnets advantageously do not require as much coolingand power compared the magnets of existing systems, and therefore therequirement to use large water cooling pipes to cool the magnets iseliminated. Instead, embodiments of the present invention can utilizeair cooling to cool the magnets, which significantly reduces the cost ofthe proton therapy system. As an additional benefit, the smaller magnetsutilized by embodiments of the present invention significantly reducethe radiation shielding requirements thereof, which further reduces thecost of goods and the footprint of the overall proton therapy system.

The multi-room configuration design is modular and consists of anyN-number of rooms. The multi-room configuration can be later upgraded toany number of rooms after the initial installation of the treatmentsystem. The treatment room type can be a gantry room or a fixed beamroom. Each room type can be either equipped with a scanning nozzle or ascattering nozzle, for example, and each nozzle type can be upgraded touse apertures or moving collimators. A simple beam exit can also be usedfor each room type.

The reduced-complexity beam transfer lines described herein include oneor more energy degraders. The energy analyzing functionally isimplemented either in the bend section into room beam line or in thegantry beam line. The gantry beam line offers limited energy acceptanceitself, and therefore movable energy slit systems used in typicalmulti-room configurations are not required.

The reduced-complexity beam transfer lines described herein according toembodiments of the present invention allow for the footprint of theoverall proton therapy system to be significantly reduced. Furthermore,the cost of goods for the proton therapy system is reduced because fewercomponents are required for the beam transfer line. For example,according to some embodiments, the proton therapy system does notrequire the gantry or gantries thereof to include an energy slit,collimator, or aperture.

The beam lines described herein are shorter in length compared totraditional beam lines and can use fewer quadrupoles for beamtransportation. The quadrupoles can be warm magnets or permanentmagnets, for example. The number of quadrupoles is reduced compared totraditional systems because the monoenergetic beam produced by theaccelerator is fairly well-focused. Moreover, the bend sections describeherein use relatively small magnets to direct the particle beamtreatment rooms without requiring additional quadrupoles forchromaticity compensation.

Embodiments of the present invention employ fewer magnets compared totraditional beam lines which allows the proton therapy systems describedherein to switch more rapidly between treatment rooms compared toexisting proton therapy systems. While typical proton therapy systemsusing beam transport lines with traditional energy selection systemsrequire approximately 20-30 seconds, for instance, to begin operating ina different treatment room, including time for de-energizing magnets,time for re-energizing magnets, and time for configuring an energydegrader for a specific energy, embodiments of the present inventionadvantageously provide energy to different treatment rooms with only afew seconds of downtime in-between. The limited downtime betweenproviding energy to different treatment rooms makes the treatmentsystems of the present invention more efficient compared to traditionalsystems, thereby significantly improving the patient/user experience dueto much shorter wait times between treatments.

With regard to FIG. 2A, an exemplary multi-room proton therapy system100 including a reduced-complexity, monoenergetic beam transfer line 110is depicted according to embodiments of the present invention. Anaccelerator (e.g., a cyclotron) 105 extracts a particle beam withmonoenergetic energy. A monoenergetic beam transfer line 110 transportsthe beam into one or more treatment rooms. The proton therapy system 100does not include an energy analyzer component requiring a separateachromatic beam line (e.g., consisting of two or more dipoles and amoveable slit system) because the ESS functionality is performed by thegantries 125 and 140, which advantageously reduces the complexity of theproton therapy system 100.

As depicted in FIG. 1 , the monoenergetic beam transfer line 110transports the beam to gantries 125 and 140, where the gantries 125 and140 are installed in treatment rooms 145 and 150, respectively. One ofordinary skill in the art will recognize that any conventional particleaccelerator used in proton therapy systems can be used to extract aparticle beam within the scope of the various embodiments describedherein.

The beam transfer line 110 depicted in FIG. 2A uses a monoenergetic beamtransfer line layout. Therefore, the bend sections for directing thebeam into a treatment room do not require additional quadrupoles tomatch the achromaticity of the beam. By using a monoenergetic beamtransfer line, the number of magnets required to transport the beam issignificantly reduced. Moreover, the magnets can be permanent magnetsthat require no power consumption, or normal magnets can be used thatare powered by relatively inexpensive power supplies because the magnetsdo not need to be ramped. Furthermore, the magnets do not require thelarge and expensive water cooling system of traditional systems, furtherreducing the complexity and cost of the proton therapy system 100.

Bend sections 115 and 130 are used to direct the energy beam totreatment rooms 145 and 150. Degraders 120 and 135 are positioneddirectly in front of treatment rooms 145 and 150 such that the energyspread is limited on the gantry without requiring additional beam lineelements. Degraders 120 and 135 provide energy modulation for the beamnecessary to provide efficient patient treatment.

Gantries 125 and 140 are used to direct the proton beam to a targetregion of the patient for providing proton therapy and include ESSfunctionality rather than requiring separate components for providingESS functionality, such as energy degraders for reducing the beam energyand separate beam energy analyzers for reducing the energy spreadinduced by degraders. According to some embodiments, gantries 125 and140 do not include collimators, slits, or apertures for modifying thebeam energy.

With regard to FIG. 2B, an exemplary multi-treatment room proton therapysystem 200 including a reduced-complexity, monoenergetic beam transferline 210 coupled to a fixed beam line is depicted according toembodiments of the present invention. An accelerator (e.g., a cyclotron)205 extracts a particle beam with monoenergetic energy. Monoenergeticbeam transfer line 210 transports the beam into one or more treatmentrooms. As depicted in FIG. 2B, the monoenergetic beam transfer line 210transports the beam to gantries 225 and 240, where the gantries 225 and240 are installed in separate treatment rooms 265 and 270, respectively,and to fixed beam line 255 coupled to a scattering nozzle or scanningnozzle 260 (e.g., an eye nozzle).

The beam transfer line 210 depicted in FIG. 2B uses a monoenergetic beamtransfer line layout. Therefore, the bend sections for directing thebeam into a treatment room do not require additional quadrupoles tomatch the achromaticity of the beam. By using a monoenergetic beamtransfer line, the number of magnets required to transport the beam issignificantly reduced. In addition, the magnets used can be permanentmagnets that require no power consumption, or normal magnets can be usedthat are powered by relatively inexpensive power supplies because themagnets do not need to be ramped. Furthermore, the magnets do notrequire the large and expensive water cooling system of traditionalsystems, further reducing the complexity and cost of the proton therapysystem 200.

Bend sections 215 and 230 direct the energy beam produced by theaccelerator 205 into treatment rooms 265 and 270. Degraders 220 and 235are positioned directly in front of treatment rooms 265 and 270 suchthat the energy spread is limited on the gantry without requiringadditional beam line elements. Degraders 220 and 235 provide energymodulation for the beam necessary to provide efficient patienttreatment.

An additional bend section 250 directs the beam to fixed beam line 255and is preceded by a degrader 245 for performing energy modulation byfocusing the energy beam on the degraders. The bend 250 includes anenergy slit for providing energy analyzing functionality. In contrast,the energy analyzing functionality for rooms 260 and 265 isadvantageously performed by gantries 225 and 240 without requiringseparate ESS components. The proton therapy system 200 does not includean energy analyzer component requiring a separate achromatic beam line(e.g., consisting of two or more dipoles and a moveable slit system)because the ESS functionality is performed by the gantries 255 and 240,which advantageously reduces the complexity of the proton therapy system200.

With regard to FIG. 3 , an exemplary multi-room proton therapy system300 including a reduced-complexity beam transfer line 310 with a singledegrader 315 is depicted according to embodiments of the presentinvention. An accelerator (e.g., a cyclotron) 305 extracts a particlebeam and beam transfer line 310 transports the beam into one or moretreatment rooms. In this embodiment, the energy degrading portion of theenergy selection system 320 is positioned just before the first bend325. Beam transfer line 310 transports the beam to gantries 330 and 340,where the gantries 330 and 340 are installed in separate treatment rooms345 and 350, respectively.

In this case, beam transfer line 310 is not monoenergetic and requiresadditional quadrupoles installed in bends 325 and 335 to performchromatic matching of the beam. According to some embodiments, thequadrupoles installed in the bends 325 and 335 include electricalmagnets that can be cooled by air and are operable to be powered by apower supply. By combining the traditional ESS 320 with the first bendsection 325, the overall footprint of the proton therapy system 300 isadvantageously reduced compared to traditional proton therapy systemsthat utilize an achromatic beam line with multiple dipoles. The energyanalyzing portion for the proton therapy system 300 is performed eitherin the gantry beam line with limited energy acceptance of the gantries330 and 340, or in-between the bends sections 325 and 335.

With regard to FIG. 4 , an exemplary multi-room proton therapy system400 including a reduced-complexity, monoenergetic beam transfer line 410coupled to three gantry rooms 460, 465, and 470, and coupled to twofixed beam line rooms 450 and 455, is depicted according to embodimentsof the present invention. An accelerator (e.g., a cyclotron) 405extracts a particle beam with monoenergetic energy. A monoenergetic beamtransfer line 410 transports the beam into treatment rooms 460, 465, and470. As depicted in FIG. 4 , the monoenergetic beam transfer line 410transports the beam to gantries 415, 420, and 425, installed in separatetreatment rooms 460, 465, and 470, and to eye nozzles or scanningnozzles 430 and 435 installed in fixed beam rooms 450 and 455.

The beam transfer line 410 depicted in FIG. 4 uses a monoenergetic beamtransfer line layout. Therefore, the bend sections for directing thebeam into a treatment room do not require additional quadrupoles tomatch the achromaticity of the beam. By using a monoenergetic beamtransfer line, the number of magnets required to transport the beam issignificantly reduced. In addition, the magnets used can be permanentmagnets that require no power consumption, or normal magnets powered byrelatively inexpensive power supplies because the magnets do not need tobe ramped. The magnets are smaller and easier to install, and can becooled by air without requiring the use of large and expensive watercooling lines.

The energy beam produced by accelerator 405 is fed directly to the firstgantry room 470 using a first portion of monoenergetic beam line 410,and a bend section 480A directs the energy beam along the length of asecond portion of monoenergetic beam line 410. Bend sections 480B and480C direct the beam into gantry rooms 460 and 465 for performing protontherapy using gantries 415 and 420. Degraders 440A, 440B, and 440C arepositioned directly in front of treatment rooms 460, 465, and 470 suchthat the energy spread is limited on the gantry without requiringadditional beam line elements. Degraders 440A, 440B, and 440C provideenergy modulation for the beam necessary to provide efficient patienttreatment.

Bend sections 480D and 480E direct the beam to fixed beam line rooms 450and 455 and are preceded by a degrader 440D for performing energymodulation by focusing the energy beam on the degraders. Fixed nozzles430 and 435 are coupled to bend sections 480D and 480E for performingbeam scanning or scattering. The fixed nozzles 430 and 435 may also be asimple exit window, according to some embodiments. The bend sections480D and 480E include an energy slit for providing energy analyzingfunctionality. In contrast, the energy analyzing functionality for rooms460, 465 and 470 is performed by gantries 415, 420, and 425 withoutrequiring separate ESS components.

As depicted in FIG. 4 , shielded walls wall1 and wall2 provide importantradiation shielding between rooms. Simplified monoenergetic beam line410 includes fewer magnets compared to traditional beam lines, andtherefore the shielding requirements thereof are reduced compared totraditional proton therapy systems. The reduced-complexity beam line 410combined with the reduced shielding requirements of the wallssignificantly reduces the footprint of the treatment system 400 as wellas the overall cost of equipment.

With regard to FIG. 5 , an exemplary multi-room proton therapy system500 including a reduced-complexity, monoenergetic beam transfer line 510coupled to two gantry rooms 560 and 565, and coupled to two fixed beamline rooms 550 and 555, is depicted according to embodiments of thepresent invention. An accelerator (e.g., a cyclotron) 505 extracts aparticle beam with monoenergetic energy. A monoenergetic beam transferline 510 transports the beam to the various treatment rooms. As depictedin FIG. 5 , the monoenergetic beam transfer line 510 transports the beamto gantries 515 and 520, installed in separate treatment rooms 560 and565, and to scanning nozzles or scattering nozzles 530 and 535 (e.g., aneye nozzle) installed in fixed beam rooms 550 and 555. The scanningnozzles or scattering nozzles 530 and 535 may also be a simple exitwindow, according to some embodiments.

The beam transfer line 510 depicted in FIG. 5 uses a monoenergetic beamtransfer line layout. Therefore, the bend sections for directing thebeam into a treatment room do not require additional quadrupoles tomatch the achromaticity of the beam. By using a monoenergetic beamtransfer line, the number of magnets required to transport the beam issignificantly reduced. In addition, the magnets used can be permanentmagnets that require no power consumption, or normal magnets powered byrelatively inexpensive power supplies because the magnets do not need tobe ramped.

A first bend section 580A directs the energy beam produced byaccelerator 505 to the first gantry room 565 using monoenergetic beamline 510, and a second bend section 580B directs the energy beam intothe second gantry room 560 for performing proton therapy using gantry515. Degraders 540A and 540B are positioned directly in front oftreatment rooms 560 and 565 such that the energy spread is limited onthe gantry without requiring additional beam line elements, and provideenergy modulation for the beam necessary to provide efficient patienttreatment.

Bend sections 580C and 580D direct the energy beam produced byaccelerator 505 to fixed beam line rooms 550 and 555 and are preceded bya degrader 540C for performing energy modulation by focusing the energybeam on the degraders. Fixed nozzles 530 and 535 are coupled to bendsections 580C and 580D for performing beam scanning or scattering. Thebend sections 580C and 580D include an energy slit for providing energyanalyzing functionality. In contrast, the energy analyzing functionalityfor rooms 560 and 565 is performed by gantries 515 and 520 withoutrequiring separate ESS components.

As depicted in FIG. 5 , shielded walls wall3 and wall4 provide criticalradiation shielding between rooms. Simplified monoenergetic beam line510 includes fewer magnets compared to traditional beam lines, andtherefore the shielding requirements thereof are reduced compared totraditional proton therapy systems. The reduced-complexity beam line 510combined with the reduced shielding requirements of the wallssignificantly reduces the footprint of the treatment system 500 as wellas the overall cost of equipment.

With regard to FIG. 6 , an exemplary proton therapy system 600 includinga reduced-complexity, monoenergetic beam transfer line 610 coupled totwo fixed beam line rooms 660 and 665 is depicted according toembodiments of the present invention. An accelerator (e.g., a cyclotron)605 extracts a particle beam with monoenergetic energy. A monoenergeticbeam transfer line 610 transports the beam to the various treatmentrooms. As depicted in FIG. 6 , the monoenergetic beam transfer line 610transports the beam to scanning or scattering nozzles (e.g., an eyenozzle) 630 and 635 installed in separate treatment rooms 660 and 665,respectively. The scanning nozzles or scattering nozzles 630 and 635 mayalso be a simple exit window, according to some embodiments.

Bend sections 680A and 680B direct the energy beam produced byaccelerator 605 to fixed beam line rooms 650 and 655. Both rooms 650 and655 are preceded by degraders 640A and 640B for performing energymodulation by focusing the energy beam on the degraders. Fixed nozzles630 and 635 are coupled to bend sections 680A and 680B for performingbeam scanning or scattering. The bend sections 680A and 680B include anenergy slit for providing energy analyzing functionality.

With regard to FIG. 7 , an exemplary stacked proton therapy system 700including a reduced-complexity, monoenergetic beam transfer line 710coupled to three gantry rooms 750, 755, and 760 is depicted according toembodiments of the present invention. The compact installation of theproton therapy system 700 is made possible by eliminating the need foran ESS requiring a separate achromatic beam line consisting of two ormore dipoles and a moveable slit system for implementing the ESS. Rooms750, 755, and 760 are positioned in a vertical orientation such thatroom 755 is located above room 755 and room 760 is located above room755. An accelerator (e.g., a cyclotron) 705 extracts a particle beamwith monoenergetic energy. A monoenergetic beam transfer line 710transports the beam into treatment rooms 750, 755, and 760. As depictedin FIG. 7 , the monoenergetic beam transfer line 710 transports the beamto gantries 715, 720, 725, installed in separate treatment rooms 750,755, and 760.

The beam transfer line 710 depicted in FIG. 7 uses a monoenergetic beamtransfer line layout. Therefore, the bend sections for directing thebeam into a treatment room do not require additional quadrupoles tomatch the achromaticity of the beam. By using a monoenergetic beamtransfer line, the number of magnets required to transport the beam issignificantly reduced. In addition, the magnets used can be permanentmagnets that require no power consumption, or normal magnets can be usedthat are powered by relatively inexpensive power supplies because themagnets do not need to be ramped.

The energy beam produced by accelerator 705 is fed directly to the firstgantry 715 in treatment room 750 using a first portion of monoenergeticbeam line 710, and a bend section 780A directs the energy beam along thelength of a second portion of monoenergetic beam line 710. Bend sections780B and 780C direct the energy beam into gantry rooms 755 and 760 forperforming proton therapy using gantries 720 and 725, respectively.Degraders 740A, 740B, and 740C are positioned directly in front oftreatment rooms 750, 755, and 760 such that the energy spread is limitedon the gantry without requiring additional beam line elements. Degraders740A, 740B, and 740C provide energy modulation for the beam necessary toprovide efficient patient treatment. The energy analyzing functionalityfor rooms 715, 720, and 725 is performed by gantries 715, 720, and 725without requiring separate ESS components.

According to one embodiment, a proton treatment system is disclosed. Theproton treatment system includes an accelerator operable to extract aparticle beam, a beam line including quadrupole and steerer magnetsoperable to align and focus the particle beam, a bend section coupled tothe beam line for directing the particle beam to a treatment room, adegrader disposed between the bend section and the treatment room, wherethe particle beam is focused on the degrader to modulate an energy ofthe particle beam, and a gantry disposed in the treatment room andoperable to receive the particle beam downstream from the degrader,where the gantry provides energy selection functionality for thetreatment room.

According to a different embodiment, a modular multi-room protontreatment system is disclosed. The modular multi-room proton treatmentsystem includes an accelerator operable to extract a particle beam fordelivery to a plurality of treatment rooms, a beam line operable toreceive the particle beam from the accelerator and comprisingquadrupoles and steerer magnets operable to transport the particle beam,a degrader disposed between the beam transfer line and a first bendsection, where the degrader is operable to reduce an energy of theparticle beam for the plurality of treatment rooms, and a first gantrydisposed in a first treatment room and coupled to the first bendsection, where the first gantry provides energy selection functionalityfor the first treatment room.

According to another embodiment, a modular multi-room proton treatmentsystem is disclosed. The modular multi-room proton treatment systemincludes an accelerator operable to extract a particle beam, a beam linecomprising quadrupole and steerer magnets operable to align and focusthe particle beam from the accelerator to deliver the particle beam to afirst treatment room and a second beam line, a first bend sectioncoupled to the second beam line and operable to direct the particle beamto a first treatment room, a degrader disposed between the first bendsection and the first treatment room, where the particle beam is focusedon the degrader to modulate an energy of the particle beam, and a firstgantry disposed in the first treatment room and operable to receive theparticle beam downstream from the degrader, where the first gantryprovides energy selection functionality for the first treatment room.

According to some embodiments, the beam line transports the particlebeam to N number of treatment rooms.

According to some embodiments, the proton treatment system includes Nnumber of bend sections in the beam line operable to bend the particlebeam from the degrader into the N number of treatment rooms.

According to some embodiments, the N number of bend sections areoperable to perform energy analyzing functionality by modifying anenergy width of the proton beam for a fixed beam line room without usinga separate achromatic beam line.

According to some embodiments, the proton treatment system includes atleast one of: a scanning nozzle; a scattering nozzle; and a simple exitwindow.

According to some embodiments, the proton treatment system includes aplurality of gantry beam lines operable to provide energy selectionfunctionally for the N number of treatment rooms.

According to some embodiments, the quadrupoles include electricalmagnets cooled by air and powered by a power supply.

Embodiments of the present invention are thus described. While thepresent invention has been described in particular embodiments, itshould be appreciated that the present invention should not be construedas limited by such embodiments, but rather construed according to thefollowing claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A modular multi-room treatment system comprising:an accelerator operable to extract a particle beam; a beam transfer linecomprising quadrupole and steerer magnets operable to align and focussaid particle beam from said accelerator; N number of bend sectionscoupled to said beam transfer line operable to direct said particle beamto N number of treatment rooms; N number of degraders disposed betweensaid N number of bend sections and said N number of treatment rooms,wherein said particle beam is focused on said N number of degraders tomodulate an energy of said particle beam; and N number of gantriesdisposed in said N number of treatment room and operable to receive saidparticle beam downstream from said N number of degraders, wherein said Nnumber of gantries provide energy selection functionality for said Nnumber of treatment rooms.
 2. The modular multi-room treatment systemdescribed in claim 1, wherein said particle beam comprises amonoenergetic proton beam transported from said accelerator to saiddegrader.
 3. The modular multi-room treatment system described in claim1, further comprising: said N number of bend sections comprising anenergy slit for performing energy analyzing functionality; an additionaldegrader disposed on said beam transfer line before said N number ofbend sections; and a fixed beam transfer line coupled to said N numberof bend sections.
 4. The modular multi-room treatment system describedin claim 1, further comprising a power supply, wherein said bend sectioncomprises electrical dipole magnets powered by said power supply.
 5. Themodular multi-room treatment system described in claim 1, wherein saidbend section comprises permanent dipole magnets.
 6. The modularmulti-room treatment system described in claim 1, wherein saidquadrupoles comprise permanent magnets.
 7. The modular multi-roomtreatment system described in claim 1, wherein said quadrupoles compriseelectrical magnets cooled by air and powered by a power supply.
 8. Themodular multi-room treatment system described in claim 1, wherein said Nnumber of bend section comprise hybrid dipole magnets.
 9. A treatmentsystem comprising: an accelerator operable to extract a particle beamfor delivery to a plurality of treatment rooms; a beam line operable toreceive said particle beam from said accelerator and comprisingquadrupoles and steerer magnets operable to transport said particlebeam; a first bend section on said beam line for directing said particlebeam to said plurality of treatment rooms, wherein said first bendsection is operable to perform energy analyzing functionality bymodifying an energy width of said particle beam for said first treatmentroom without using a separate achromatic beam line; a degrader disposedbetween said beam line and said first bend section, wherein saiddegrader is operable to reduce an energy of said particle beam for saidplurality of treatment rooms; and a first gantry disposed in a firsttreatment room and coupled to said first bend section, wherein saidfirst gantry provides energy selection functionality for said firsttreatment room.
 10. The treatment system described in claim 9, whereinsaid beam line transports said particle beam to N number of treatmentrooms.
 11. The treatment system described in claim 10, furthercomprising N number of bend sections in said beam line operable to bendsaid particle beam from said degrader into said N number of treatmentrooms.
 12. The treatment system described in claim 11 wherein said Nnumber of bend sections are operable to perform energy analyzingfunctionality by modifying an energy width of said particle beam for afixed beam line room.
 13. The treatment system described in claim 12further comprising a plurality of gantry beam lines operable to provideenergy selection functionally for said N number of treatment roomswithout using a separate achromatic beam line.
 14. A treatment systemcomprising: an accelerator operable to extract a particle beam; a firstbeam line comprising quadrupole and steerer magnets operable to alignand focus said particle beam from said accelerator to deliver saidparticle beam to a first treatment room and a second beam line; saidsecond beam line to transports said particle beam to N number oftreatment rooms; a first bend section coupled to said second beam lineand operable to direct said particle beam to a first treatment room; adegrader disposed between said first bend section and said firsttreatment room, wherein said particle beam is focused on said degraderto modulate an energy of said particle beam; and a first gantry disposedin said first treatment room and operable to receive said particle beamdownstream from said degrader, wherein said first gantry provides energyselection functionality for said first treatment room.
 15. The treatmentsystem described in claim 14, further comprising N number of bendsections in said beam line operable to bend said particle beam from saiddegrader into said N number of treatment rooms.
 16. The treatment systemdescribed in claim 15, wherein said N number of bend sections areoperable to perform energy analyzing functionality by modifying anenergy width of said particle beam for a fixed beam line room withoutusing a separate achromatic beam line.
 17. The treatment systemdescribed in claim 16, further comprising a plurality of gantry beamlines operable to provide energy selection functionally for said Nnumber of treatment rooms.